Rajyapala kamboja
Encyclopedia
Rajyapala of Kamboja-Vamsa-Tilaka was the founder of the Kamboja Pala dynasty of Bengal
. This dynasty had ruled over northern and western Bengal. Four rulers of this dynasty are known who ruled, either over north-west Bengal or parts thereof, from second half of tenth century to the first quarter of 11th century. The last known king of Kamboja Pala dynasty was Dharmapala
, who was the ruler in Dandabhukti division, during the first quarter of 11th century.
.
According to scholars, the Pala rulers of Bengal used to recruit cavalry
and mercenary
soldiers from the Kamboja
(due to the lack of native horses in Bengal
and Assam
) of north-west . Some of the Kamboja militarist
or civilian
adventurers are believed to have settled permanently in Bengal and one of their descendants viz. Rajyapalal ultimately carved out an independent kingdom in north Bengal when the Pala power weakened in the second half of the tenth century CE (a situation similar to that of the Western Roman Empire
and the foederati
).
According to Dr H. C. Ray, the ancestors of the Kamboja rulers of Bengal came from west with Gurjara Pratihara
s. The Kambojas had joined the forces of Gurjara Pratiharas and there were separate regiments of the Kambojas
in the Pratihara
army which were entrusted with the defense of north-eastern borders of the Pratihara empire. The Kambojas did not leave the province after the collapse of Pratihara power. Rather, they took advantage of the weakness of the Pala kings and set up an independent kingdom which was not a difficult task for them . Expelled from Hindukush/Pamirs, the Kambojas are stated to have formed a large contingent of the Gurjaras. Dr Hem Chander Raychaudhury also states that the Kambojas came to Bengal
with the armies of the Gurjara Pratihara
s . Dr R. C. Majumdar also agrees with the view that the Kambojas may have come to Bengal with Pratiharas when they conquered part of the province .
The Bhaturya Inscriptions refers to a ruler named Rajyapala whose commands are obeyed by the Mlechchas, Anga
s, Kalinga
s, Vanga
s, Odra
s, Pandyas, Karnatas, Latas, Suhma, Gurjara, Kiratass and in Cina
.
According to George E Somers, "while the claim is certainly exaggerated, it is significant that Rajyapala's conquests included Anga
, Vanga
, Suhma, but not Gauda
or Pundra". So, according to Dr Somers and other scholars, this may attest that only north or north-west Bengal was the home province of Rajyapala. The scholars, therefore, have identified this Rajyapala of Bhaturiya inscriptions with the Kamboja ruler, Rajyapala of the Irda copper plate .
army
on march in the south and north and that this Rajyapala was a General
of Kamboja
origin and accompanied the Rashtrakuta ruler in his march into Bengal
; and later carved out an independent Kamboja Pala kingdom
in northern Bengal, probably during the reign of Gopala-II . See link: http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN8170170591&id=gYO25eaDrqUC&pg=PA208&lpg=PA208&ots=LRqsJbtnNr&dq=Kamboja+soldiers+mercenary+Bengal&sig=O5Qo4fTcM7DP-8XoYEm4mzRrryk
use Paramasaugata epithet
for Rajyapala of Kamboja
lineage. This attests that Rajyapala was a worshipper of Buddha
.
Pillar Inscription makes mention of a certain Kamboja king called the Kambojanvaya Gaudapati (i.e lord of Gauda, born in Kamboja family). Some scholars tend to link Kamboja-Vamsa-Tilaka Rajyapala of the Irda copper plate with this Kambojanvaya Gaudapati of Dinajpore pillar inscriptions. But whereas the Kambojanvaya Gaudapati is attested as the builder of lofty temple of Lord Sambhu and hence undoubtedly a devotee of Siva
, Rajyaplaya of Irda copper plate, on the other hand, is styled as Paramasaugata i.e a devotee of Buddha. Thus, in all probability, "Kambojanvaya Gaudapati" and "Kamboja-Vamsa-Tilaka Rajyapala" are two separate historical personages (Dr J. L. Kamboj).
Kamboja Dynasty of Bengal
The Kamboja-Pala Dynasty ruled parts of Bengal in the 10th to 11th centuries CE, gradually gaining independence from their former liege lords, the Palas.-Origins:...
. This dynasty had ruled over northern and western Bengal. Four rulers of this dynasty are known who ruled, either over north-west Bengal or parts thereof, from second half of tenth century to the first quarter of 11th century. The last known king of Kamboja Pala dynasty was Dharmapala
Dharmapala (disambiguation)
Dharmapala is a Sanskrit name which means "protector of the Dharma". The Pāli equivalent is Dhammapala. The name is often used by Buddhists to refer to a variety of persons and concepts, including:-Buddhism:...
, who was the ruler in Dandabhukti division, during the first quarter of 11th century.
Rajyapala, The Ornament of Kamboja Family
Irda copper plate addresses king Rajyapala with the epithet of Kamboja-Vamsa-Tilaka (i.e. the ornament of the Kamboja family) . He is also addressed as the first (Prthu) ruler in the Kamboja-Pala dynastyKamboja Dynasty of Bengal
The Kamboja-Pala Dynasty ruled parts of Bengal in the 10th to 11th centuries CE, gradually gaining independence from their former liege lords, the Palas.-Origins:...
.
According to scholars, the Pala rulers of Bengal used to recruit cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
soldiers from the Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
(due to the lack of native horses in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
and Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
) of north-west . Some of the Kamboja militarist
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
or civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
adventurers are believed to have settled permanently in Bengal and one of their descendants viz. Rajyapalal ultimately carved out an independent kingdom in north Bengal when the Pala power weakened in the second half of the tenth century CE (a situation similar to that of the Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
and the foederati
Foederati
Foederatus is a Latin term whose definition and usage drifted in the time between the early Roman Republic and the end of the Western Roman Empire...
).
According to Dr H. C. Ray, the ancestors of the Kamboja rulers of Bengal came from west with Gurjara Pratihara
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...
s. The Kambojas had joined the forces of Gurjara Pratiharas and there were separate regiments of the Kambojas
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
in the Pratihara
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...
army which were entrusted with the defense of north-eastern borders of the Pratihara empire. The Kambojas did not leave the province after the collapse of Pratihara power. Rather, they took advantage of the weakness of the Pala kings and set up an independent kingdom which was not a difficult task for them . Expelled from Hindukush/Pamirs, the Kambojas are stated to have formed a large contingent of the Gurjaras. Dr Hem Chander Raychaudhury also states that the Kambojas came to Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
with the armies of the Gurjara Pratihara
Pratihara
The Gurjara Pratihara , often simply called Pratihara Empire, was an imperial Indian dynasty that ruled much of Northern India from the 6th to the 11th centuries. At its peak of prosperity and power , the Gurajara-Pratihara Empire rivaled or even exceeded the Gupta Empire in the extent of its...
s . Dr R. C. Majumdar also agrees with the view that the Kambojas may have come to Bengal with Pratiharas when they conquered part of the province .
The Bhaturya Inscriptions refers to a ruler named Rajyapala whose commands are obeyed by the Mlechchas, Anga
Anga
Anga was a kingdom that flourished on the eastern Indian subcontinent in the 6th century BCE until taken over by Magadha in the same century. Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya, Anga also finds mention in the Jain Vyakhyaprajnapti’s list of...
s, Kalinga
Kalinga
Kalinga is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is Tabuk and borders Mountain Province to the south, Abra to the west, Isabela to the east, Cagayan to the northeast, and Apayao to the north...
s, Vanga
Vanga
The vangas are a group of little-known small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to Madagascar and the Comoros. They are usually classified as the family Vangidae. There are about 22 species, depending on taxonomy...
s, Odra
Odra
Odra may refer to:* Oder, a river in Czech Republic, Poland and Germany* Odra , a computer once made in Poland* Name of several Polish football clubs, e.g...
s, Pandyas, Karnatas, Latas, Suhma, Gurjara, Kiratass and in Cina
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
According to George E Somers, "while the claim is certainly exaggerated, it is significant that Rajyapala's conquests included Anga
Anga
Anga was a kingdom that flourished on the eastern Indian subcontinent in the 6th century BCE until taken over by Magadha in the same century. Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in Buddhist texts like the Anguttara Nikaya, Anga also finds mention in the Jain Vyakhyaprajnapti’s list of...
, Vanga
Vanga
The vangas are a group of little-known small to medium-sized passerine birds restricted to Madagascar and the Comoros. They are usually classified as the family Vangidae. There are about 22 species, depending on taxonomy...
, Suhma, but not Gauda
Gauda
*Sanskrit ' :**Gauḍa region is a historical country in eastern India, which included Gaur in Bengal, of its eponymous capital, and of its inhabitants .**The ' , a branch of Panch-Gauda...
or Pundra". So, according to Dr Somers and other scholars, this may attest that only north or north-west Bengal was the home province of Rajyapala. The scholars, therefore, have identified this Rajyapala of Bhaturiya inscriptions with the Kamboja ruler, Rajyapala of the Irda copper plate .
Rajyapala Kamboja: a Rashtrakuta General?
According to some scholars including George E Somers, it is also possible that the Rajyapala of Bhaturiya inscriptions was a camp-follower of the RashtrakutaRashtrakuta
The Rashtrakuta Empire was a royal dynasty ruling large parts of the Indian Subcontinent between the sixth and the 10th centuries. During this period they ruled as several closely related, but individual clans. Rastrakutas in inscriptions represented as descendants of Satyaki, a Yadava well known...
army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
on march in the south and north and that this Rajyapala was a General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
of Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
origin and accompanied the Rashtrakuta ruler in his march into Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
; and later carved out an independent Kamboja Pala kingdom
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
in northern Bengal, probably during the reign of Gopala-II . See link: http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN8170170591&id=gYO25eaDrqUC&pg=PA208&lpg=PA208&ots=LRqsJbtnNr&dq=Kamboja+soldiers+mercenary+Bengal&sig=O5Qo4fTcM7DP-8XoYEm4mzRrryk
Imperial Titles by Rajyapala
Kamboja Rajyapala has been described as a great ruler. He was succeeded by his two sons, Narayanapala and Nayapala. While Rajyapala had assumed the imperial titles of Kambojavamshatilaka Paramasaugata maharajadhiraja parameshvara paramabhattaraka Rajyapala, his son Nayapala assumed the titles of Parameshvara paramabhattaraka maharajadhirAja Nayapaladeva .Religious beliefs of Rajyapala
The Irda copper plate inscriptionsIndian copper plate inscriptions
Indian copper plate inscriptions play an important role in the reconstruction of the history of India. Prior to their discovery, historians were forced to rely on ambiguous archaeological findings such as religious text of uncertain origin and interpretations of bits of surviving traditions,...
use Paramasaugata epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
for Rajyapala of Kamboja
Kambojas
The Kambojas were a kshatriya tribe of Iron Age India, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature.They were an Indo-Iranian tribe situated at the boundary of the Indo-Aryans and the Iranians, and appear to have moved from the Iranian into the Indo-Aryan sphere over time.The Kambojas...
lineage. This attests that Rajyapala was a worshipper of Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
.
Kamboja-Vamsa-Tilaka Rajyapala vs Kamboja.nvaya Gaudapati
The DinajpurDinajpur District, Bangladesh
Dinajpur is a district in Northern Bangladesh. It is a part of the Rangpur Division.- Geography :Dinajpur is bounded by Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts in the north, Gaibandha and Joypurhat districts in the south, Nilphamari and Rangpurdistricts in the east, and the state of West Bengal, India...
Pillar Inscription makes mention of a certain Kamboja king called the Kambojanvaya Gaudapati (i.e lord of Gauda, born in Kamboja family). Some scholars tend to link Kamboja-Vamsa-Tilaka Rajyapala of the Irda copper plate with this Kambojanvaya Gaudapati of Dinajpore pillar inscriptions. But whereas the Kambojanvaya Gaudapati is attested as the builder of lofty temple of Lord Sambhu and hence undoubtedly a devotee of Siva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, Rajyaplaya of Irda copper plate, on the other hand, is styled as Paramasaugata i.e a devotee of Buddha. Thus, in all probability, "Kambojanvaya Gaudapati" and "Kamboja-Vamsa-Tilaka Rajyapala" are two separate historical personages (Dr J. L. Kamboj).
In conclusion
The scholars are yet not in agreement on the exact year of the establishment of the Kamboja Pala rule in north and western Bengal by Rajyapala of Kamboja lineage; nor is it clear as to the duration he had ruled his kingdom. Rajyapala Kamboja was succeeded by his elder son Narayanapala Kamboja.Books and Periodicals
- The History and Culture of Indian People, The Classical Age, Dr R. C. Majumdar, Dr A. D. Pusalkar
- The History and Culture of Indian People, The Age of Imperial Kanauj, Dr R. C. Majumdar, Dr A. D. Pusalkar
- The History and Culture of Indian People, The Struggle For Empire, Dr R. C. Majumdar, Dr A. D. Pusalkar
- The Rise and Decline of Buddhism in India, 1995, (The Kamboja-Pala Dynasty (c. AD 911-92), Chapter 9), Kanai Lal Hazra.
- Dynastic History of Magadha, Cir. 450-1200 A.D., 1977, Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha - Magadha (Kingdom)
- The Dynamics of Santal Traditions in a Peasant Society, George E. Somers - 2003
- The People and Culture of Bengal: A Study in Origins, Volume 1— Part 1 & 2, 2002, Annapurna Chattopadhyaya.
- Ancient India, 2003, Dr V. D. Mahajan
- A Critical Study of The Geographical Data in the Early Purana, 1972, Dr M. R. Singh
- History of Bengal, Part I, 1971, Dr R. C. Majumdar
- Some Historical Aspects of the Inscriptions of Bengal, 1962, B. C. Sen
- The Dynastic History of Northern India, II, Dr H. C. Ray
- Some Kshatria Tribes of Ancient India, 1924, Dr B. C. Law
- Candelas of Jejabhukti, R. K. Dikshit
- Hindu World, Vol I, 1968, Benjamin Walker
- Jataka, 1957, Fausboll
- District Gazeteer, Rajashahi,1915
- India and Central Asia, 1956, Dr P. C. Bagchi
- History of the Origin and Development of the Bengali Language, 1926, Dr S. K. Chatterjee
- Early History of India, 1957, Dr V. A. Smith
- Decline of the Kingdom of Magadha, 1953, B. P. Sinha
- Dacca University Studies, Vol I, No 2
- Bharatvarsha, 1344 (Bangala Samvata)
- Library of India Office, Vol II, Part II
- Modern Review, 1937, N. G. Majumdar
- Epigraphia Indica, Vol V, XII, XXII, XXIV
- Epigraphia Indica, Vol XVII., p 305
- History of the Koch Kingdom, C. 1515-1615–1989, pe 8, D. Nath – History
- Journal of Oriental studies - 1954, p 381, University of Hong Kong Institute of Oriental Studies
- Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland – 1834, p 434, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
- Indian Historical Quarterly, Vol XV-4, 1939
- Bihar Through the Ages, 1958, Ed, R. R. Diwarkar
- Journal of Proceedings of Royal Society of Bengal (NS), Vol VII
- Ancient Kamboja, People and the Country, 1981, Dr J. L. Kamboj
- The Kambojas Through the Ages, 2005, S Kirpal Singh